


Endgame Exposed

by ShenaCat



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Gen, Not Spider-Man: Far From Home Compliant, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-07-28 17:51:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20068117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShenaCat/pseuds/ShenaCat
Summary: Peter didn't understand why everyone just stood around watching Mr. Stark die. No one even tried anything to save him. They just stood there, collectively deciding it was time for Iron Man to die. It was like they were under some type of compulsion. Did the last five years change everyone this much?





	Endgame Exposed

**Author's Note:**

> Immediate deviation from Canon: Strange did not tell Peter it has been 5 years.

When Peter came back from The Snap, he was still lying on the ground on Titan, heart beating a million miles an hour, tears in his eyes and panic in every cell. Only Mr. Stark wasn’t there any more.

It seemed to take forever to be able to move, but it was probably only a second. He struggled upright, his voice croaking out. 

“Mister Stark!!” 

He turned himself around and around, calling out for his mentor. Where was he?! Wasn’t he just there, holding him as he disintegrated, as his spider sense screamed inside him in a way it had never done before. He was back! He was here, he didn’t die? He thought for sure he was dying, and all he could think was that Mr. Stark was going to blame himself, just like he said that one time, and he couldn’t go with him thinking that, but all he’d managed to blurt out at the end was, “I’m sorry.” What kind of last words..? 

“Kid! Hey kid! Stop!”

With that the world suddenly rushed in around him and he noticed there was a lot of other yelling going on. It seemed the Guardians were still here? And Dr. Strange was coming towards him, red cape flapping. He latched onto the familiar and ran towards him.

“Doctor Strange! We’re here! We- we are- did we die? What happened? Where’s Mister Stark?!” as usual his mind was running a hundred times faster than his mouth. 

Strange moved closer, put a firm hand on Peter’s shoulder. “We went, yes, but we are back now. It’s been a while. Stark had to go back to Earth to finish this. Come, we are needed.”

That just opened up more questions- a while? How long is a while? What happened while they were gone?? And where did they GO?! Peter trailed along after Strange. He was heading towards the Guardians, who were still yelling at each other and didn’t seem ready to stop any time soon. He hoped things would make sense shortly. 

“We’re going back to Earth too, right??” he didn’t sound as strong as he’d hoped saying that, and winced.

Strange eyed him carefully before replying. What, did he have something on his face? He reached up to check as the sorcerer said, “Yes. Immediately in fact. And be ready to fight.”  
Peter grinned in relief. He would see Mr. Stark soon- and be home, get off this dreary planet! And he was always ready to fight! 

* * *

Strange was not wrong when he said be ready to fight. After they portalled in (and what a kick that was! Portals were SO COOL!) it was immediate chaos. He was moving too fast to even think in order to keep up with everything that was happening. He did see Mr. Stark! He looked great, not beat up at all like he’d been on Titan. In the brief moment he had to wonder, he worried about how much time had passed. At least long enough to move the fight to Earth, for Mr. Stark to change suits… but he was right back into the thick of things before he could go far with those thoughts.

So many incredible things were happening in the battle. Every superhero he’d ever geeked out over was here, all at once. It was like every fanboy’s dream, and Peter spent every spare second gawking. There weren’t nearly enough spare seconds to get in all the gawking needed, he was going to have to spend extra time catching up on it later!

He tried to make his way to Iron Man, he wanted to be near Mr. Stark. He needed to be able to help him if he could. Of course Mr. Stark didn’t need much help, he was kicking ass! .. and also, getting his ass kicked a little bit too. Peter winced at seeing a particularly tough hit knock Iron Man down, from a real big guy - hey wait, didn’t that one look familiar? 

Peter just webbed him away from Mr. Stark and ran over, holding a hand out to help Iron Man up, and there he was! Finally! 

“Holy cow! You would NOT BELIEVE what has been going on-” he starts rambling, as always. He wants to catch Mr. Stark up on everything that happened while they were apart.

But then he is surprised. Stunned, actually. Mister Stark is hugging him. The word vomit drops off and he all he can think is, “This is nice.” He didn’t know if they were there yet. He’d hoped they were, because he was definitely there, but Mr. Stark had always seemed more reluctant. Not so now, and Peter just leaned into it, soaking it all in while it lasted.

Of course at some point, it had to stop, and they had to go back to fighting, and Peter got to ride a Pegasus. 

But then it was over, and everything and everyone went quiet, and when he ran back to Mr. Stark again… Iron Man was down.

“No, no, no no no nonononono..” This could not be happening - no, not now, not after everything they did to get here. Why was Mr. Stark just lying there.

Colonel Rhodes was sitting there next to him- just looking. Why was he just looking? Shouldn’t he be- Peter didn’t know- doing some type of first aid, medical thing?

“Hey, Mister Stark… can you hear me?” Peter’s voice was shaking, sobs working themselves up and out of his chest. Mr. Stark was in rough shape, yes but- surely there were things that could be done- this wasn’t it, not IT right?

Peter babbled something then, something about how he did it, we won, it was over. Then he was being pulled back and away, his whole body numb with grief, this couldn’t be happening. He expected any minute a rescue bot or ambulance or- anything- to come swooping in to save the day. 

Instead there was just Ms. Potts, leaning down to cradle Mr. Stark’s face in her hand, asking Friday for status and just sitting there while Mr. Stark was in critical condition.

Peter looked around frantically, pulling away from Colonel Rhodes, checking to see if anyone else was doing anything- if there was any help coming, and saw nothing but the same everywhere. People just standing… looking… not moving. 

What was this! A whole galaxy of superheroes and gods on the battlefield and not one of them coming to help?

Peter’s eyes found Doctor Strange, not far away from everything, and he too was just looking at Mr. Stark. Peter ran over, tugging at his arm. Surely he would do something?! He was a doctor after all- not just a sorcerer, right? 

“Come on come on, can’t you- can’t we do something? He needs help!”

Strange looked at the boy tugging on his sleeve, and seemed sad, but resigned. “He is beyond our help now.” 

“What? No we have to try, what do you mean! Come on!” Peter kept begging. Colonel Rhodes was there, pulling at Peter gently.

“Hey, hey kiddo, no. He’s right.”

Peter blinked, pulled back to look at the Colonel. The man’s face was hung with grief, but a weary type of resignation as well. Spinning around to look for someone- anyone else who could do anything- he just found more of the same. Everyone had this look of sadness, but that was it.

Spider-Man may as well have been alone on the battlefield for all the help that would be coming from this group. The painful chill of awareness radiated out from his gut to his extremities. He panted, his breath coming faster as it truly sunk in- Mister Stark was going to die. He screamed.

“This isn’t happening! No, no this isn’t happening! Why isn’t anybody doing anything!” 

He clutched at his head, panting from panic, his body going numb. His vision seemed to narrow, all he could see was Iron Man, slumped down against the rubble, one side badly burnt and his eyes glassy and staring. The world tilted. He never felt the hands that lunged out to catch him as he fell, everything going suddenly, blissfully black.


End file.
